My friends/family can tell you that one thing I say a lot, one thing I try to live is the motto that “IT doesn’t have to be different, I do. We all have our collections of “IT” - job, finances, relationships, etc.

With that in mind, as I paint a picture in my mind of how I want 2008 to shape up for me, two quotes and some accompanying questions spring to mind. Those same friends/family members can also tell you that I love questions - powerful questions, deep-tissue-massage kinds of questions.

Ready? ‘K.

1. “We are what we believe we are.” ~ C.S. Lewis

What is it that you believe yourself to be?

Do you need to believe something else? Do you WANT to believe something else? To experience a paradigm shift…a shift in your personal belief system about who you are, what you’re capable of?

Are you ready, are you willing, to believe something different? Or perhaps to believe something old…but in a different way? Are you willing to believe something better, deeper, more authentic?

2. “We are what we repeatedly do.” ~ Aristotle

What is it in your life that you have on repeat?

Is it working for you? (NOTE: please note that “working for you” is VERY relative. For example, staying in a relationship that you know isn’t good for you works on some level…you have a “relationship”, you don’t have to go through the whole getting-to-know-you thing with someone new, you know the other person’s habits, etc. Bottom line: “working for you” doesn’t mean it works well…or in your best interest)

In what areas of your life are you ready and willing to increase the frequency (in a positive way!)?

I mentioned before that 2008 was all about ACTION for me. My mind is always going, always thinking up something new, mulling over something old. It is VERY easy for me to wear myself out roaming around in my own mind so much so that I have little or no energy when it comes to actually MOVING, making things happen. (’Member what I had just said ’bout “Is it working for you” & “working for you” not always meaning it works WELL or in your best interest? Well, let’s just consider this Exhibit A shall we? LOL) In 2008, I’m getting out of the box so to speak.

Staying with your thoughts keeps you from FEELING. It lets you tell yourself (and anyone else in hearing distance) that you’re “doing” something because you’re on the periphery of whatever “thing” you say you want to change or expand. That’s not gonna work for me this year.

I came into this year knowing it had to be about the DOING so that I can get to the BEING…being authentically me, being true to the life I want, the life I’m meant for. I also knew that this year would be about challenging my thought processes, about challenging my mindset about a lot of things.

As I sat down to write this post, I was thinking the mindset challenge and action were different but they aren’t. To have real, true lasting action take place, I have to not only change WHAT I do, I need to understand and change WHY I do it. If I want action that becomes part of who I am, I have wade into the who/what/why/when/how of my mindset in certain areas of my life.

So, bottom line? I guess I just confessed to the world that in 2008, I’m going out of my mind.

LOL

Live DELICIOUSLY!

~ J ~

Have you ever played with clay? Play-doh? Or maybe mud?

I remember making mud pies, building tunnels in the dirt in our front yard, building fences around whatever toys were were playing with.

Shaping it. Creating whatever came to your mind’s eye. Squashing it down at some point and starting all over again.

That’s how I see the New Year. Putty in my hands. 366 days (it’s a Leap Year) of Play-doh.

And we get to shape each and every day however we want to.

366 days (oops - today’s the 2nd so make that 365 days) of intentionally creating what we want to see in our lives, of consciously creating what how we want our day to unfold.

Consciously creating what we want.

Beautiful. Simply beautiful.

You gotta love that, right?

I know I do! But then, I’ve always fancied myself a bit of an “artiste”.

So…what are YOU creating with YOUR “Play-doh”?

Live DELICIOUSLY!
~ J ~

THIS IS IT! 2008

A blank slate. A mound of clay to be molded.

What are YOU gonna create? How are YOU gonna shape your life this year?

So many times in life, we leave situations and tell ourselves (and er’ybody else that “next time, it’s gonna be different”). What I learned along the way is that “it” doesn’t need to be different, I do. The situation, the relationship, the job, whatever it is…all “it” has to do is be what it is. “YOU” are the most fluid in the situation.

I love New Years. Outside of Christmas, it’s my favorite holiday. And no, it’s NOT just because it’s the day before my birthday (although from a “party” perspective, it IS a cool A bday - there’s ALWAYS a party going on so do you ever REALLY need to throw your own? Shhhhh! Don’t let that get around.).

I think it’s the NEWNESS of it all. Getting another chance to do things differently. To start over - where I am, with what I have, with what I know….and to do “IT” better. To BE better. To DO better. To HAVE better. To LIVE better. TO LOVE BETTER.

We all know the world is full of craziness and bad news. But what I also know is that beautiful moments are born in my life every single day. Every single day. In the face of craziness, liars, unemployment, family issues, war, racism, etc. - the same ish you deal with. Yet, those beautiful moments keep coming. I spent 12 months just sitting and watching joy unfold on da regular in my life. And I was never disappointed. Never.

And it wasn’t the big, over the top moments that really made my breath catch in my throat. It was the little things: sitting on my end of the futon reading a book into the wee hours of the morning while Princess So Fabulous did the same on the other end; meeting “Poi” at the salad bar while fighting a sinus headache & having him offer to beat up a pineapple for me; watching K write his name; reciting lines from “The 5 Heartbeats” with D and from “The Color Purple” with Bubbles; finding some purple flowers blooming at the steps on my deck; meeting Ms. Thelma at the drycleaners and having her treat me to lunch and a healthy dose of wisdom; waking up early enough to watch the sun rise over the lake; rum punch, margaritas & martinis…

Whether you make resolutions…or goals…or whatever, make this year count. LIVE INTENTIONALLY. Be bold about your life. Be courageous. Be willing to learn, grow, challenge yourself. Stretch. Dig deep. Love deeper. And always, always laugh out loud.

Let JOY be the theme music for your life. The ever-present backdrop. Be thankful for all that comes your way. Treat yourself, and the world around you, with love & respect. Be boldly and uniquely YOU.

Here’s to everything great about you. Let it shine!

Live DELICIOUSLY!

~ J ~

*~* QUOTABLE *~*